Be alert — Reports of a loose alligator along the Tioughnioga River between Whitney Point and Lisle are being investigated by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, according to Whitney Point Mayor Ryan Reynolds.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Reynolds said the DEC believes recently as-yet unconfirmed reports about the alligator being sighted could be true. The DEC believes the alligator was once someone's pet and it was let go sometime in the last month, according to Reynolds.

The first reported sighting was Saturday, according to the DEC, and the alligator was spotted again early Monday morning in the same Whitney Point area.

According to Reynolds, DEC officials are investigating and searching the area around the river in an attempt to capture and relocate the alligator. The DEC will continue to keep tabs on the area, he said.

"Please use caution if in the vicinity," Reynolds told area residents on Facebook. "If you see it, don't approach it and contact the DEC as soon as possible so they can dispatch someone to its location."